


From Eden

by megan_is_aa



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Dramatic Love Confessions, Fluff, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, aziraphale is an idiot, crowley is also an idiot, listen they are both drama queens and I am living for it, mostly its cute, theres some mild angst, they get some snakes, wiggleverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-11 22:45:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19935742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megan_is_aa/pseuds/megan_is_aa
Summary: Aziraphale gets a snake, domesticity ensues.





	From Eden

When Crowley decided to check in on Aziraphale that day, he expected to see the angel pouring over one of his books with a cup of tea, or glowering at potential shop patrons. Perhaps, if it was a good day, he might even find the angel at a nearby café sampling the new pastries, or performing minor miracles at his favorite theatre.

What he did not expect was to walk into the bookshop and become face to face with a snake.

Not a large snake, by any means, but not a small one either, coiled lazily around itself in a tank near the door. It seemed well looked after, recently fed, plenty of water, a small plant or two, a picture of Crowley-

What?

The demon was so stunned that he didn’t even notice Aziraphale turn the corner to inspect who had entered.

“My dear, I didn’t know you were coming by today!” the angel exclaimed, his smile brighter than any star (and Crowley knew first hand how bright they could be). “I see you’ve met my new friend! Isn’t he beautiful?”

Crowley looked incredulously at Aziraphale, “you got a snake? Why?”

The demons’ attitude did nothing to quell the bubbling excitement Aziraphale was feeling. “He’s a southern ring neck! From America! Isn’t that wonderful? He looks like you!” His smile left Crowley even more dumbfounded than before.

“No, he doesn’t! He has a ring around his neck, I don’t have one of those.” The angel brushed him off.

“He’s black with an orange stomach, that’s close enough I should think. Besides, I think he’s been abandoned, he definitely doesn’t belong here in London.” Aziraphale looked at the snake fondly, “I’m thinking of calling him Crawly, after his father.” Crowley sputtered as the angel continued, “see I put your photo in there so he knows who you are.”

Crowley didn’t know how to respond to all of this information, so he bent down to get a better look at the snake. “How long have you had the little bugger?”

“Oh, about a month now. He scares away most of my customers, just like you.” The angel was very pleased by this. “If they don’t mind him, I usually let them roam around a little bit before discretely influencing them to leave.”

The snake by this point had taken a slight interest in the demon. If Crowley didn’t know any better, he’d actually think the reptile _recognized_ him. Crowley had long suspected the angel had stronger powers of influence than he let on, but it hadn’t occurred to him that it extended to animals as well.

“I don’t like his name,” Crowley finally said, straightening up. “We should pick something we both like, since we are _both_ his parents.” The demon eyed the angel who blushed and cleared his throat.

“You’re right, what should we call him?” Aziraphale’s eyes sparkled, Crowley looked quickly back to the snake to avoid being completely disarmed by them.

“How about Raphael?” Crowley grinned as Aziraphale scoffed.

“Ridiculous, don’t insult the poor thing,” he snipped back. “He is _our_ snake so it should be _our_ name.”

The demon racked his brain for what that could possibly mean.

“Jesus?” He suggested genuinely; the angel ignored him.

“Eden? Like where we met?” the demon rolled his eyes.

“How is that better than Jesus?”

“What about Anthony?” The angel thought back to when he first heard Crowley use the name; it had been an important moment for him.

“No, I’m still using that one.” Crowley countered. Aziraphale didn’t seem to be paying attention, having become lost in thought. The demon watched him for a while, wondering what could be going on in his mind while his own went through thousands of years of memories.

The pair went on like that for probably too long before Crowley suggested they think about it later and go get dinner. Aziraphale readily agreed and after saying good bye to their new ward, they headed out.

Crowley insisted on driving; he had found a restaurant in Southwark that he thought Aziraphale would like, and the angel only put up a token protest before getting in the Bentley. The promise of good food overpowering his concern of the demons driving ability.

\--

“Care for a walk?” Crowley asked when the angel had finally finished the last bite of cheesecake. Aziraphale made a happy noise in agreement as he brought a napkin up to wipe his mouth. Crowley never understood why he did this, he was the daintiest eater the demon had ever seen.

“Let’s walk down by the Thames, it’s been years since we’ve done that.” Aziraphale suggested. Crowley smiled fondly at him.

“Yes, not since the 1980’s.” he remembered.

“You had the mohawk,” Aziraphale grinned, as they left the restaurant. “And the nose piercing.” Aziraphale had absolutely hated the look, but Crowley thought it had been a lot of fun.

“I had a lot more piercings than that, angel.” The eyes behind his sunglasses danced as he watched Aziraphale look back and try to remember.

“I think I would have remembered more piercings, my dear. I must say, it had all shocked me very much.”

“Well, they weren’t where polite company _would_ see them,” the demon relished the angels brief look of confusion, followed quickly by complete scandal.

“My dear, Crowley!” the angel sputtered, “why… how… _why_?”

The demon grinned, “it was the thing to do back then, angel.”

Aziraphale frowned, “well, I hope you took them all out. How uncomfortable.” He wiggled to show his discomfort, adjusting his bow tie.

“Would you like to see them?” Crowley knew he shouldn’t tease the angel so much, the poor bloke could only take so much, and Crowley didn’t want to be reminded about how fast he was going.

Even if the angel was the one who put his picture in a tank with a snake and called him its _father_.

Crowley looked over at the angel, who seemed to be fighting multiple reactions, finally settle on embarrassment. The demon could see him turn pink even in the dark.

“It’s a nice night for a walk,” they had reached the river and Aziraphale was quick to find a change of conversation.

“A little windy,” Crowley responded, allowing this.

“Yes, a little colder than I thought, are you warm enough?” Aziraphale asked, Crowley’s eyebrows shot up as he leaned back to take a better look at the angel.

“I’m fine, angel, demon blood and all that.”

Aziraphale smiled softly, “it’s only that I’ve been doing a lot of research about snakes lately and I read that they don’t do well with the cold…” He trailed off, looking at Crowley who was smiling, bemused.

“But I suppose that doesn’t extend to you?”

Crowley had never thought about the practical similarities between himself and proper snakes. He had always seen himself as the only one of his kind, but he realized he must have just been the first.

“Honestly, I don’t know very much about snakes, angel. The cold never bothered me too much, but I _have_ always preferred warmth. What else have you learned about snakes?”

Aziraphale perked up, “Oh, so much! Did you know that snakes smell using their tongues? And that they can shed their skin up to four times a year? Some snakes can see in _infrared_ -“ 

The demon was listening, _he was_ , its just they had just walked up to a familiar spot that brought Crowley back to a very specific memory.

“Hamlet!” The demon interjected.

Aziraphale was nonplussed. “Yes?” he asked slowly, looking up to see that they had reached the reconstructed Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. “It looks like they’re doing Midsummer now, my dear. Would you like me to see when they are doing Hamlet next?”

“No!” Crowley shook his head, “we should name the snake Hamlet!”

The angel stopped walking and took this in, before brightening, “yes! That’s the perfect name! Prince Hamlet of London, son of King Crowley.” He beamed at Crowley and the demon all but melted. 

“I don’t know about that,” He recovered, “I seem to remember his father having a questionable end.”

“We’ll just have to change that then, won’t we?” The angel smiled, and slowly, with purpose, put his hand in Crowley’s.

\--

Crowley loved Hamlet.

He had been spending much more time in the bookshop lately, and the snake had been wonderful company while the angel busied himself with whatever he did that didn’t include Crowley.

Despite the fact that Aziraphale had insisted he not take Hamlet out of his tank very often; the snake was almost always found on or around the demon.

It wasn’t so much that the snake was entertaining, he mostly slept or ate, but Crowley felt like he was learning a little bit about himself.

Recently, Crowley had been shifting into his own snake form to mimic Hamlets habits. It was a little more difficult because Crowley as a snake was more the size of an anaconda than a small ring neck, but he felt like he was getting in the mindset.

He had been worried that the snake would react poorly to his original shape, but either Hamlet did not notice, or he had known the whole-time what Crowley was, because he barely gave Crowley a second glance.

Their favorite spot in the bookstore was by the window, curled around various piles of books while basking in the sun (if there was any). Their second favorite spot was wherever Aziraphale was.

One of the main reasons that he liked Hamlet so much was because he clearly loved the angel. The snake would wrap himself lovingly around Aziraphale’s forearm and remain there for as long as he was allowed.

Crowley thought this was brilliant and wrapped his own heavy snake body around the angels’ leg, waist and shoulders. Aziraphale usually only allowed this for short periods of time, as having one’s body covered in snakes is not very conducive to a functional existence. He was usually very kind about getting them off though, and neither snake nor demon ever really got upset.

Their favorite pastime was scaring away potential customers, which Aziraphale only vaguely disapproved of. Crowley spent most of his time plotting the various ways it could be done, while Hamlet, almost telepathically played along. The demon found out quickly that the small snake was fearless, and soon became worried that he would get hurt. Crowley made sure to give himself the more dangerous stunts.

Aziraphale was thrilled that Crowley had bonded with the snake. He had been hoping the demon would like it, but he hadn’t dared imagine Crowley would like it so much he would spend most of his time in the bookshop with it. The angel could not remember a time where he was happier, and he suspected the demon felt similarly.

Their relationship, he had noted, had begun to change.

The pair had rarely, if ever, touched before, and now they touched each other often. A hand on the small of the back, fingertips carding through hair, feet bumping into each other under tables; Aziraphale reveled in it.

But he was scared. Aziraphale knew the demon loved him, or he was pretty sure the demon loved him. And if he was being honest with himself, he had been in love with Crowley for a very, very long time. More than anything he wanted to tell Crowley how he felt, how he wanted him to stay every night and not go back to his flat. How he wanted to look up from his book at 3am, when the rest of London was quiet, and see his demon yelling at some inanimate object or writing inflammatory comments on the internet.

Aziraphale wanted all of Crowley, but… what if he was too late? What if he had taken too long to reciprocate and Crowley was no longer interested? What if the angel kissed him, only to be laughed at?

He couldn’t bare it. So he waited for a sign, some kind of spark, from Crowley, to let him know he was still wanted.

\--

“Angel!” Crowley strutted into the bookshop a few months later, a large glass tank in his arms and a few bags hanging off is shoulder. “Come see what I’ve got for Hamlet!”

Aziraphale was in the back and he called out to let Crowley know he would be there momentarily. The demon began to set up the surprise.

By the time the angel came out front, there was a second tank next to Hamlet’s, and upon closer inspection, Aziraphale noticed another snake.

“What’s this then?” The angel asked, trying and failing to hide a smile.

“This is Horatio!” Crowley replied proudly, “Hamlet was starting to get lonely, so I thought I’d get him an angel too.”

Aziraphale tore his gaze from Crowley to look at the new snake. It was white and yellow, similar in size to Hamlet. The habitat was slightly different, the angel assumed Horatio had different needs than Hamlet, and of course there was a photo of Aziraphale inside. The angel laughed.

“I love it!” He said, clapping his hands together. “Have you introduced them yet?”

“Not yet,” Crowley replied, “I was waiting for you, angel.”

“Well of course, Horatio should meet the whole family at once!” the angel bent down to the newest addition, “hello Horatio, I am Aziraphale, and I’m sure you have already met Crowley. This dashing young snake next to you is named Hamlet. We are hoping that the two of you will be as close as Crowley and I!” Aziraphale straightened up and placed his hand on Crowley’s waist, grinning. He turned to look at the demon.

“That was very thoughtful of you, my dear,” Crowley practically purred with satisfaction at making his angel happy.

“Don’t mention it,” he gave Aziraphale a mock stern look, but there was no heart in it. The angel was looking at him _like that_ again and Crowley could barely stand it. 

\--

Horatio was exactly like the angel. Crowley was getting very suspicious that Aziraphale had a heavier hand in this than he insisted he did.

For one, Crowley had been doing his own research, and he knew that the snakes should not be together, in case they started fighting.

By the second time the demon visited, there was no longer two separate tanks, but one very large one, and the snakes were completely entwined and asleep.

“Aren’t they sweet?” the angel had caught Crowley staring. “They’ve been like that all day. For a moment I thought they were mating, but I think they just like being together.”

“They don’t fight?” Crowley cocked an eyebrow. “Seems like a bit of a miracle.” Then angel huffed, offended.

“I haven’t done anything. They just like each other.” He smiled fondly down at the creatures. “Look how happy they are to be together.”

Crowley’s heart squeezed painfully.

“I distinctly remember buying another tank, angel.” The demon looked at him over the rims of his sunglasses. Aziraphale blushed but otherwise refused to look guilty.

“I wasn’t going to keep them apart, my dear. I think you and I both know first hand how difficult that can be.” He looked at the demon meaningfully.

Aziraphale, in general, was starting to panic. He had been dropping what he thought were heavy hints to the demon showing his interest in moving things forward, but Crowley hadn’t seemed to notice.

Crowley on the other hand, was also generally panicked.

He _had_ noticed the hints. Of course he had, how could he not? The truth is, when you’ve spent as long of a time as Crowley had loving someone who didn’t love you back, once the status quo begins to change, you walk straight into denial.

Even now, in the face of a near confession, the demon had told himself that the angel didn’t feel about him the way that Crowley felt about Aziraphale. Hand holding and hair playing was one thing, but _love_? Not angelic, heavenly love, that angels felt as a default, but _human_ love? Erratic, demanding, consuming, painful, euphoric love? Crowley loved Aziraphale like the moon loved the sun, like the trees loved the rain. Crowley loved Aziraphale as if he had been the first breath of air, the first sip of water, the first bite of the apple…

The demon loved the angel.

And the demon knew that the angel didn’t, couldn’t, feel the same.

Crowley tried to hide this sudden wave of sadness, but Aziraphale noticed immediately.

“My dear, that is over now.” The angel reached out to take Crowley’s hand but the demon moved away. Aziraphale looked at him, slightly hurt. “Crowley? What’s the matter? Have you- have you had a change of heart?”

It had taken everything in the angels being to finally ask that question. He watched anxiously as Crowley shot him a sharp look.

“ _Have I_? Have _I_ had a change of heart?” Crowley’s voice came out harsher than he intended.

“Aziraphale, if I was to have a change of heart, I would have done it ages ago! I would have done it 5000 years ago when you let the humans drown, unquestioned. If I was to have a change of heart, I would have done it 1000 years ago when you turned down my initial offer of truce. If I was to have a change of heart, I would have done it 200 years ago when you refused to give me holy water.”

In the back of Crowley’s head, a voice told him to shut up, the angel would never forgive him for this outburst, but he couldn’t stop now that he’s started.

“Angel, if I had had any sense of self preservation, I would have left you alone hundreds of thousands of times. But I haven’t. I am here. I have always been here for you and I always will be, as long as you’ll have me. I love you; how can you not see that?”

And just like that, Aziraphale saw how stupid he had been. All this time, worrying and fretting, over what? When all this time…

“My dear Crowley, I didn’t know how badly I was hurting you.” He surged forward and grabbed Crowley’s hands to keep him in place. “Please know that it was not intentional. I-“ he swallowed, refusing to let fear hold him back any longer. “I am sorry for ever making you feel unloved, when you deserved so much more.

“I know that I have been afraid, but I will not let that stop me anymore.” The angel resolved and gripped Crowley’s hands tighter. “I love you,” he reached a hand up to the demons’ face, “I love you and I have been so cruel to you,” he kissed Crowley’s forehead. “Please forgive me, my dear,” he kissed his eye lashes, his cheeks, “I love you,” his lips finally found the demons. The kiss an apology, an atonement.

“I love you.”

Crowley hardly dared to breathe as the angel showered him with soft kisses. Still he couldn’t believe Aziraphale meant it. He loved him so completely, he couldn’t bare it if the angel walked away from him after this.

“Please,” Crowley pulled himself away reluctantly. He tried to take a step back but Aziraphale wouldn’t let him. “Please angel, don’t start this if you don’t mean it. I can’t…” The demons voice broke and he couldn’t bring himself to continue. Aziraphale shattered.

“My dear, my love. I mean this more than I’ve ever meant anything in my life. You are my everything. I don’t want to live a moment without you ever again.” He crashed his lips onto Crowley’s again, who whimpered in surprise. Aziraphale pulled the demon against him, placing a hand on the demons’ waist while the other still held his face.

It was as if he was building the stars again. Crowley felt heavy and weightless all at once. The angel smelled of roses and vanilla and Crowley wanted to engulf him completely.

The kiss lasted seconds, but it could have gone on for centuries.

“I love you,” the angel whispered, “I love you.”

The snakes slept peacefully.

**Author's Note:**

> I really loved this [art](https://megan-is-aa.tumblr.com/post/186334496115/skizoraven-based-on-this-post-by) by [skizoraven](https://skizoraven.tumblr.com/)/[post](https://minervamagooglie.tumblr.com/post/186000690908/crowley-tries-to-play-a-prank-and-it) by [ineffable-bastard-crowley](https://ineffable-bastard-crowley.tumblr.com/) so I had to incorporate some aspects of it.


End file.
